weekday warriors 2011

This week, three future Wolverines take home state titles, Erik Magnuson's squad advances to the semifinals, and the season ends in disappointment for Matt Godin and Chris Wormley.

Still Playing

MI DT Matt Godin

Godin contributed four tackles, but Catholic Central lost a shocker to Cass Tech in the Division 1 state finals, 49-13. The Shamrocks finished the season with a 12-2 record.

MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone

Jenkins-Stone had a monster game for Cass Tech, rushing for 65 yards and a 32-yard TD run on nine carries, hauling in a three-yard TD pass, and leading the Technician defense with seven tackles while adding another TD on a 36-yard interception return. You can see highlights and Jenkins-Stone's post-game comments in the above video. He also had this to say to the Free Press:

"I told everybody on defense to keep it up because they're a second-half team," Jenkins-Stone said. "We had to keep the pressure on them and not let up. Everybody stepped up and kept the pressure on. I got my interception and I was happy about it. The hard work and determination will get you far."

Cass Tech finishes the season at 11-3 and took home the school's first-ever state football championship.

CA OL Erik Magnuson

Magnuson had two sacks on the defensive line as La Costa Canyon defeated Westview—featuring 2012 TE recruit Taylor McNamara, who had a 75-yard TD catch—13-6 in a Division 2 quarterfinal matchup.

This week: The Mavericks play Oceanside on Thursday night in the semifinals.

MI CB Terry Richardson

Richardson tallied two tackles and hauled in a 36-yard TD pass—one of five thrown by Cass Tech freshman QB Jayru Campbell, tying a state title game record—as the Technician defense held Catholic Central to just 226 yards of total offense.

MI LB James Ross

After finishing as runner-ups the past two seasons, Orchard Lake St. Mary's finally took home a state title of their own, crushing Mount Pleasant 45-7 in the Division 3 championship game. Ross was his usual productive self, making ten tackles and scoring on a 32-yard touchdown run, and he was suitably proud of finally reaching the ultimate goal in high school football:

Ross, one of the state's top players, is committed to Michigan and as happy as Ross was that U-M finally beat Ohio State on Saturday, the joy he felt a few hours after U-M's important victory had everything to do with his team winning a state title.

"It's a great feeling," Ross said about U-M's victory. "But honestly, I'm not a Wolverine yet. This (state championship) is a great accomplishment. It's a great feeling to have that state championship."

To the Free Press, he added:

"It's better than I thought it would feel," Ross said. "I never thought it would feel like this: something that's as amazing as this and something we've been working for four months now. It's a great accomplishment -- one of the best accomplishments of my life."

OH DE Chris Wormley:

Whitmer's dreams on an undefeated season were dashed in the state semifinals, as St. Ignatius eked out a 17-6 victory thanks to five Panther turnovers, which were just enough to overcome the Whitmer defense holding St. Ignatius to a mere 135 yards of total offense. Wormley had three tackles and a sack in the losing effort, and here's Mason's weekly report on the game:

Whitmer's defense played their best game of the season, giving up just 135 yards (!) in a Division 1 state semifinal against a program that has won 10 state championships since 1988. That's pretty damn good. The offense - outside of a 90-yard touchdown run - really struggled to get going and turned the ball over five times, which is, of course, a recipe for disaster.

Chris had, officially, three assisted tackles and a sack in his final HS football game. He was really impressive all year despite being the focal point of everyone else's offense. He's a great, intelligent kid who's going to be a real credit to the Michigan family. He does have some things to work on - he does tend to play a little high, I think, and he needs to work on "finishing" tackles - but I see absolutely no reason why he can't be a star at Michigan. He's been a real pleasure to watch these last couple of years, and I'm thrilled that he'll be making the transition from maize and blue to Maize and Blue next fall.

A huge thanks to Mason for contributing these all season—if you're looking to hear more of his work, he'll be calling Whitmer basketball games (Wormley plays center, and the team is a state title contender) for WRSCSports.com.

After the jump, see the season records of the players whose teams have been eliminated, as well as a link to their season stats, compiled by Touch the Banner.

This week, I finally sort the players by who is still actually, you know, playing; Michigan commits will square off against each other in the MHSAA Division 1 title game; and both James Ross and Chris Wormley get a shot at state titles of their own.

Still Playing

MI OL Ben Braden

Rockford was able to jump out to a 17-7 lead against Catholic Central in the state semifinals, but weren't able to hold on to a three-point lead in overtime—not sudden death in the MHSAA—and the Rams fell 24-20.

This week: Rockford finished the season with an 11-2 record.

MI DT Matt Godin

Godin didn't know his stats when I texted him, but he said he "played OK" and was "just happy we got the W and are on our way to get a ring next weekend." He did tally a critical fourth-down stop in the second half to help the Shamrocks beat Rockford in a 24-20 overtime thriller.

This week: The Shamrocks face Cass Tech—featuring Royce Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson—in the Division 1 state title game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field. You can see the game live on FSD+ (channel 901 on Comcast) in the Detroit area.

MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone

Cass Tech toughed out another close victory with Jenkins-Stone (pictured at right) providing the scoring, as he rushed for 122 yards on 22 carries and a one-yard TD in the second quarter to lead the Technicians to a 6-3 win over Utica Eisenhower in the state semifinals:

After gaining 38 yards on 14 carries over the first three quarters, Jenkins-Stone ran for 84 yards on eight carries in the fourth period.

"This time I put the team on my back," he said. "I kept telling Coach to run that G-sweep and I got you -- I'll get you that first down."

The Cass line did open some holes for Jenkins-Stone, but so many yards were the result of his determination.

"I thought that back -- he gave everything -- he gave second effort,"  [Eisenhower coach Bob] Lantzy said. "He's going to be a great college player."

This week: The Technicians play Catholic Central for the state title on Saturday. With the game at nearby Ford Field, Jenkins-Stone and his teammates will eschew the normal bus ride, saying, "It ain't that long of a walk, we'll make it. It feels better to walk it."

CA OL Erik Magnuson

La Costa Canyon had a first-round bye in the state playoffs.

This week: The Mavericks play Westview on Friday night.

MI CB Terry Richardson

Richardson had three catches for 22 yards in Cass Tech's victory while also playing a big role in shutting down the Eisenhower offense:

Eisenhower (11-2) has as diverse an offense as you could want, but Cass (10-3) allowed just two first downs until the final series of the first half and no second-half first downs until Ike's final series of the game.

"Their quarterback had a very nice arm," Cass cornerback Terry Richardson said. "Basically we tried to show him a whole lot of different looks, that way he couldn't tell the coverage and that helped us out a whole lot."

This week: The Technicians face off against Utica Eisenhower at Troy Athens HS on Saturday at 1.

MI LB James Ross

Ross got banged up and had to leave the game at one point, but contributed a 33-yard reception and helped the St. Mary's defense hold Harper Creek to their lowest point total of the season in a 14-10 semifinal victory.

This week: The Eaglets take on Mt. Pleasant at Ford Field in the Division 3 state title game on Saturday at 7:30. That game will also be televised live on FSD+.

OH DE Tom Strobel

No stats are available for Strobel from Mentor's 23-17 state quarterfinal loss to St. Ignatius, who knocked off Kyle Kalis's St. Edward squad the week prior. Not a fan, guys.

This week: The Cardinals finish the season with an 11-2 record.

Chris Wormley (#47 in blue) helps corral Wadsworth running back Jack Snowball. (Photo credit: Dave Zapotosky/Toledo Blade)

OH DE Chris Wormley:

Whitmer continued their undefeated season with a resounding 37-0 regional final victory over Wadsworth. Wormley was part of a defense that held spectacularly-named Wadsworth RB Jack Snowball, who entered the game with 2,504 yards rushing in 2011, to a season-low 90 yards on 30 carries:

“That was our main focus,” All-Ohio Whitmer defensive end Chris Wormley said of stopping Wadsworth’s star. “Snowball is their entire offense. He had over 2,500 yards rushing coming into the game, and we held him to less than 100. Everyone contributed. We’re ready for next Saturday. We can’t wait to play.”

[UPDATE: Mason checks in with his weekly update:

This wasn't the sort of team that Chris will put up gaudy numbers against. Obviously, all they do is run with Snowball, and most of the time, they ran away from Chris. I had Chris for six tackles, two TFL, and a sack. A solid performance, and one that was more than good enough to beat a completely one-dimensional team.

A word about Snowball: I like him. Runs really hard and has good size. Didn't have a great night, and isn't really fast (his 40 time is 4.56 as recorded as an OSU camp), but he's got to get a look from someone. Right now he has 0 interest of any kind from any DI or IAA school, which is a real shame. He should get a second look from somebody - probably in the MAC, C-USA or maybe even an Indiana-type school in a big conference - and could be a huge college success. I'll be pulling for him.

For those that want to celebrate what I imagine will be a highly-satisfying win over Ohio on Saturday with the delight of hearing a future Wolverine qualify for a state championship game, we'll have it on WRSCsports.com. Pregame at 6:15, kickoff at 7:00. Just sayin'.

Thanks, as always, to Mason for the first-hand report.]

This week: Whitmer faces St. Ignatius, the Wolverine commit-killers, in the state semifinals on Saturday at 7.

After the jump, see the season records of the players whose teams have been eliminated, as well as a link to their season stats, compiled by Touch the Banner.

This week on Weekday Warriors, the ranks of the surviving Wolverine commits thin out considerably during playoff action. Just a note—I will be attempting to compile season stats in one big post after all the players have finished their seasons. If you have any info that would help in putting together such a post, please shoot me an email.

2012 Commits

TN OL Blake Bars

Montgomery Bell fell to Baylor, 20-10, in a state quarterfinal matchup.

This week: The Big Red finish the season with a 6-6 record.

OH LB Joe Bolden

No stats were available for Bolden as Colerain lost to St. Xavier for the second time this season, 28-15, in the regional semifinals.

This week: The Cardinals finish the season at 10-2, with both losses coming to St. X.

MI OL Ben Braden

Rockford amassed 338 yards on the ground en route to a 30-28 victory over Grand Blanc for the regional title.

This week: Rockford plays against Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central in the state semifinals on Saturday at 1.

OH DE Pharaoh Brown

Brush finished the season with a 4-6 record.

KY S Jeremy Clark

No stats to report for Clark as North Hopkins lost to Franklin-Simpson, 20-17, in the second round of the state playoffs.

This week: The Maroons finish the season with a 9-3 record.

MI TE Devin Funchess

Harrison finished the season with a 10-1 record.

OH S Allen Gant

Southview finished the season with a 9-2 record.

MI DT Matt Godin

Godin recorded 10 tackles as Detroit Cathlic Central knocked off Drake Johnson and Pioneer, 21-0, to advance to the state semifinals. The Shamrock defense—which was missing Wyatt Shallman due to injury—bottled up Johnson and never allowed the Pioneers to advance past the 50-yard line.

“We took their heart when we bottled up Drake,” Shamrocks’ all-state defensive lineman Matt Godin said. “You could see it in their eyes. They didn’t know what to do when their No. 1 option was taken away. By the second quarter, they were reeling big time.”

This week: The Shamrocks face Ben Braden and Rockford in Saturday's 1 p.m. state semifinal at Battle Creek Central HS.

UT FB Sione Houma

Highland finished the season with a 7-4 record.

Royce Jenkins-Stone (#10 in white) stares down Shane Morris before the snap.

MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone

Jenkins-Stone recorded six tackles and ran the ball 22 times for 67 yards and the game-winning touchdown as Cass Tech shut down Shane Morris and Warren De La Salle, 6-0, to move on to the state semis. You can find much more on the game in this week's Future Blue Originals.

This week: The Technicians face off against Utica Eisenhower at Troy Athens HS on Saturday at 1.

MI RB Drake Johnson

Johnson was limited to just 48 yards on 16 carries in Pioneer's 21-0 loss to Catholic Central, leaving him just 86 yards short of eclipsing the single-season state rushing record.

This week: The Pioneers finish the season with a 9-3 record.

OH OL Kyle Kalis

St. Edward fell to St. Ignatius, 20-17, on a last-second field goal in the second round of the playoffs.

This week: The Eagles end the season with an 8-4 record.

CA OL Erik Magnuson

La Costa Canyon knocked off bitter rival Torrey Pines, 28-7, in their regular-season finale to earn a bye in the first round of the state playoffs.

This week: The Mavericks have a bye while they await their second-round playoff matchup.

MI DE Mario Ojemudia

Harrison finished the season at 10-1.

MO DT Ondre Pipkins

Park Hill finished the season with a 5-5 record.

Terry Richardson locks down his man against De La Salle.

MI CB Terry Richardson

Richardson had two receptions for 46 yards and played extremely well at corner as Cass Tech squeaked by De La Salle, 6-0, in a classic defensive battle.

This week: The Technicians face off against Utica Eisenhower at Troy Athens HS on Saturday at 1.

OH LB Kaleb Ringer

Ringer sat out the end of the season due to a strained MCL suffered early on in the year.

MI LB James Ross

Ross recorded an 11-yard touchdown reception, his only catch of the day, as Orchard Lake St. Mary's defeated Linden, 49-7, to reach the Division 3 state semifinals.

This week: The Eaglets face Battle Creek Harper Creek at Withington Stadium in Jackson on Saturday at 1.

OH OL Caleb Stacey

Oak Hills finished the season at 4-6.

IL CB Anthony Standifer

Crete-Monee finished the season with a 10-1 record.

OH DE Tom Strobel

Strobel contributed at least one big tackle for loss as Mentor won a wild one against rival Solon, 42-40, to win the regional title:

Solon appeared poised to push that lead out even further after Justin Kresevic intercepted a pass and returned it to the Mentor 22. However, a big defensive stop — keyed by a tackle for loss by senior defensive end Tom Strobel — kept the Comets from adding to the lead, and it was game on for Trubisky and company from there on for the rest of the first half.

This week: The Cardinals face St. Ignatius on Saturday at 7.

OH TE A.J. Williams

The Aviators finished the season with an 8-3 record.

OH S Jarrod Wilson

Buchtel finished their season with a 6-4 record.

OH DE Chris Wormley:

Whitmer remained undefeated as they held Canton McKinley to just 159 yards of offense in a 37-6 playoff rout. Here's Wormley on the victory:

"We prepared all week with the defensive schemes, and I guess we're pretty good," Wormley. "The main thing was getting pressure, sending people off the edge and blitzing. I think that really helped.

"We just stayed focused and mentally tough. It's great feeling to be in the regional final again. We'll be back at it on Monday and hopefully it'll be the same outcome."

[UPDATE: Here's Whitmer play-by-play man Mason Lowry with his weekly first-hand report:

This was the best I've ever seen Chris play. Simply outstanding. Always in the backfield, always causing havoc. Got to the quarterback a ton and brought him down several times at or just behind the line of scrimmage. Not sure just how many sacks/QB pressures he may have had, but I know that I called his name more than I have in any other game this year. This was a really impressive performance from Chris and the entire defense. He looked every bit like a major Division 1 recruit, and certainly played like someone who could make a big impact in Maize and Blue.

Now, the Whitmer D will go from facing an athletic spread offense to a more methodical, running-oriented team. Wadsworth's running back, the wonderfully-named Jack Snowball, has over 2500 yards (!) for the season to this point and can easily carry the ball 40+ times per game. This is a completely different test from what McKinley presented, but one that I ultimately think Whitmer will overcome, but at this point in the season, who knows?

Thanks, as always, to Mason for the update.]

This week: Whitmer faces Wadsworth on Saturday at 7 in their regional final.

2013 Commits

MI QB Shane Morris

Morris completed just 4-of-17 passes for 28 yards and two interceptions against a strong Cass Tech defense as De La Salle fell 6-0 in the final minutes.

This week: The Pilots finish the season with a 9-3 record.

OH RB/S Dymonte Thomas

Marlington finished the season at 8-2.